Sergio Ramos
In the summer of 2005, Ramos was purchased by Real Madrid for €27 million, a record for a Spanish defender. Ramos has had 395 appearances with Real Madrid and has scored 55 goals.
Titles with Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12, 2016–17
- Copa del Rey: 2010–11, 2013–14
- Supercopa de España: 2008, 2012, 2017
- UEFA Champions League: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
- UEFA Super Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017
Gerard Pique
On 27 May 2008, Pique signed a four-year year contract with Barcelona, with a €5 million buy-out clause. Barcelona paid a £5 million fee for the player. He expressed his joy at re-signing with his boyhood club.
Titles with Barcelona
- La Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18
- Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
- Supercopa de España: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018
- UEFA Champions League: 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15
- UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2015
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
Vincent Kompany
Ten years ago, on August 22, Premier League club Manchester City signed Vincent Kompany from Hamburg on a four-year contract for an undisclosed fee.
Titles with Manchester City
- Premier League: 2011–12, 2013–14, 2017–18[75]
- FA Cup: 2010–11
- Football League Cup/EFL Cup: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2017–18[76]
- FA Community Shield: 2012, 2018
Marcelo
Marcelo joined Real Madrid during the January transfer window in 2007. On his arrival, club President Ramon Calderon said, "He is an important signing for us. He is a young player who will inject some freshness into the side and is part of our plan to bring younger players into the squad. We're very happy because he's a pearl that half of Europe wanted."
Titles with Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12, 2016–17
- Copa del Rey: 2010–11, 2013–14
- Supercopa de España: 2008, 2012, 2017
- UEFA Champions League: 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
- UEFA Super Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2014, 2016, 2017
Daniele De Rossi
De Rossi joined the Roma youth team from Ostia Mare, where he had played as a striker, in 2000. He made his first-team debut for Roma under manager Fabio Capello on 10 October 2001 against Belgian side Anderlecht in the UEFA Champions League.
Titles with AS Roma
- Coppa Italia: 2006–07, 2007–08
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2007
Sergio Busquets
Busquets began playing football with local team CD Badia del Vallès, followed by spells with CEF Barberà Andalucía, UE Lleida and UFB Jàbac Terrassa, before joining Barcelona's youth ranks in 2005. In that same season, he made his first-team debut, coming on as a substitute in the Copa Catalunya. Titles with Barcelona- La Liga: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18
- Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
- Supercopa de España: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018
- UEFA Champions League: 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15
- UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
Aaron Ramsey
On 10 June 2008 it was confirmed that after meeting officials from Arsenal, Everton and Manchester United, Ramsey had decided to join Arsenal, who paid Cardiff City a total of £4.8 million for the player.
Titles with Arsenal
- FA Cup: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17
- FA Community Shield: 2014, 2015
Franck Ribery
On 7 June 2007, German club Bayern Munich announced that they had reached an agreement with Marseille for the transfer of Ribéry, with the player agreeing to a four-year deal and Bayern paying Marseille a then club-record €25 million.
Titles with Bayern Munich
- Bundesliga: 2007–08, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
- DFB-Pokal: 2007–08, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16
- DFB-Liga pokal: 2007
- DFL-Super cup: 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018
- UEFA Champions League: 2012–13
- UEFA Super Cup: 2013
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2013
Marek Hamsik
On 28 June 2007, newly promoted Serie A club Napoli announced Hamšík had signed a five-year contract with the club after Napoli paid Brescia a €5.5 million transfer fee. Napoli club Aurelio De Laurentiis described Hamšík as a player who should be closely watched in the future.
Hamsik has made 577 appearances and has scored 132 goals.
Titles with Napoli
- Coppa Italia: 2011–12, 2013–14
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2014
Lionel Messi
As the Messi family had relatives in Catalonia, they sought to arrange a trial with Barcelona in September 2000. First team director Charly Rexach immediately wanted to sign him, but the board of directors hesitated; at the time it was highly unusual for European clubs to sign foreign players of such a young age. On 14 December, an ultimatum was issued for Barcelona to prove their commitment, and Rexach, with no other paper at hand, offered a contract on a paper napkin.
After a year at Barcelona's youth academy, La Masia, Messi was finally enrolled in the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in February 2002.
During the 2003–04 season, his fourth with Barcelona, Messi rapidly progressed through the club's ranks, debuting for a record five teams in a single campaign. After being named player of the tournament in four international pre-season competitions with the Juveniles B, he played only one official match with the team before being promoted to the Juveniles A, where he scored 18 goals in 11 league games.
To gain further match experience, Messi joined Barcelona C in addition to the Juveniles A, playing his first game for the third team on 29 November.
During the 2004–05 season, Messi was a guaranteed starter for the B team, playing 17 games throughout the campaign and scoring on six occasions.
On 24 June 2005, his 18th birthday, Messi signed his first contract as a senior team player. It made him a Barcelona player until 2010, two years less than his previous contract, but his buyout clause increased to €150 million.
Messi has made 641 appearances and has scored 556 goals.
Titles with Barcelona
- La Liga: 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18
- Copa del Rey: 2008–09, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
- Supercopa de España: 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018
- UEFA Champions League: 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2014–15
- UEFA Super Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2009, 2011, 2015